What is hotspot monitoring?
Hotspot monitoring is a proactive approach that involves the continuous monitoring of electrical asset temperature to spot temperature anomalies. Abnormal temperature rises are detected by monitoring temperature variations in electrical assets like switchgear, transformers, and circuit breakers.
These anomalies in temperature trends could be a result of potential inefficiency or a sign that potential electrical failures are about to occur. Various factors, including insulation degradation, overheated connections, faulty components, loose connections, and overloaded circuits, can all result in electrical asset hotspots.
By spotting these anomalies before they become more serious issues, a maintenance team can implement proactive measures to address problems that require attention before they deteriorate into a full-blown outage, thereby reducing downtime, saving maintenance or repair costs, optimizing asset reliability, and increasing efficiency.
Basic steps of the hotspot monitoring process
Hotspot monitoring is typically carried out through:
- Sensor deployment: The continuous monitoring of electrical asset temperature is achieved by sensors with temperature-monitoring capabilities. These thermal sensors are installed inside electrical assets such as switchgear, circuit breakers, and transformers.
- Data acquisition: The temperature data from electrical assets is continuously collected from temperature sensors installed within the equipment. This data is collected and transmitted for analysis to a central monitoring system such as a BMS or SCADA.
- Data analysis: The analysis of the temperature data collected by the thermal sensors is performed using analytical software. This data can identify irregularities and help alert personnel to possible hotspots, helping organizations maintain a more efficient operation.
- Alert generation: Alerts are generated when systems detect temperature trend anomalies or irregularities from the data collected from electrical assets. These alerts are signals from specific electrical connections that a potential issue is possible and can help maintenance crews respond promptly. These alerts allow teams to take appropriate action early to address the risk and find problems in advance of more substantial issues.